BajaNomad

The DC-3 at Cielito Lindo and Way Cool Bob

fishbuck - 1-25-2010 at 11:23 PM

When I was at SanQ at Christmas I met someone who knew Way Cool Bob.
I never met Bob but I did meet his DC-3. At least it was his until he died "accidentally" at Tijuana airport when he was run over by a fuel truck.
I also met his partner in the plane. A mexican man who "inherited" Bob's plane and his oceanfront house at the runway. It even has a taxiway right to it. That's where the DC-3 was parked.
Does anyone know if the plane is still parked there? Does anyone know anything about Bob or this story?
I think he died about 5 years ago.

David K - 1-27-2010 at 09:52 AM

Mike, here is the Cielito Lindo Message Board/ Forum... perhaps get a faster answer?: http://tijuanajail.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=2

Stickers - 1-27-2010 at 12:59 PM

Way Cool Bob was an exciting force at Cielito Lindo. His improvements to the runway and parking were creating a lot of new interest for using the area and I feel he had big plans for the DC-3 and the agriculture business in the area.

It was a perfect example of how just one man can make a difference and his horrible untimely demise changed everything.

fishbuck - 1-27-2010 at 04:22 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Stickers
Way Cool Bob was an exciting force at Cielito Lindo. His improvements to the runway and parking were creating a lot of new interest for using the area and I feel he had big plans for the DC-3 and the agriculture business in the area.

It was a perfect example of how just one man can make a difference and his horrible untimely demise changed everything.


Stickers can you please expand on this a little?

fishbuck - 1-27-2010 at 06:43 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by David K
Mike, here is the Cielito Lindo Message Board/ Forum... perhaps get a faster answer?: http://tijuanajail.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=2


David K I checked the site but couldn't figure out how to register.

Stickers - 1-27-2010 at 10:33 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by fishbuck
Quote:
Originally posted by Stickers
Way Cool Bob was an exciting force at Cielito Lindo. His improvements to the runway and parking were creating a lot of new interest for using the area and I feel he had big plans for the DC-3 and the agriculture business in the area.

It was a perfect example of how just one man can make a difference and his horrible untimely demise changed everything.


Stickers can you please expand on this a little?


As I recall Bob and his Mexican partner were working in the ag business crop dusting in the San Quintin area. Not sure how many planes they had.
He acquired the DC-3 to use for moving produce from San Quintin to market and maybe hauling other freight into the area to his airstrip, Cielito Lindo
He had considerably restored the runway to operate the DC-3 from there and was welcoming the flying public in to use the airport and have fun. It was great to have a good runway right there and someone with a tractor to keep it nice.
Not sure if he had other developments in mind like beach homes etc but he was on a roll for sure.

fishbuck - 1-27-2010 at 10:50 PM

My impression of the runway nowadays is that no one is maintaning it.
Wow, a DC-3 to fly fresh produce out of SanQ. Wouldn't seem feasible. DC-3's burn alot of gas and need alot of maintenance on those big radial engines.
I knew a little about the agplane story. But not much.

fishbuck - 1-28-2010 at 02:12 AM

This has me wondering if Way Cool Bob's DC-3 is the one parked at Ensenada?
Does anyone know if there is a DC-3 parked at Cielito Lindo?

wessongroup - 1-28-2010 at 06:40 AM

Have know a few pilots who have gone down and/or left their love.. but, the exit this fella made in Tijuana seems to be one which is beyond what anyone would ever expect.. sorry, did not know the man.. but, seems he had imagination, courage and vision.. a loss for sure:no::no:

capt. mike - 1-29-2010 at 10:33 AM

the strip at CL is a sad joke as far as maintenance goes since Bob died and after Dave and Juanita retired.
i made my last landing there in 2007 July after a "missed" approach to El Socorito 8 miles south. Before then it was 2003 for the baja 1000 when i got to observe the DP Racing pit crews courtesy of DB. Both times the strip was iffy but 2007 was dicey at best.

El Socorito is much better except when fogged in.

Bob was definitely way cool....RIP

there is a lot about him in BBP forums for those that read this and can get in there.

fishbuck - 1-29-2010 at 04:11 PM

I read most of the stuff in BBP when the forum was still open. It was interesting but none of it seemed like it was from people who live in SanQ.
I was interested in who he was and what he was doing more than about his death.
There is someone in SanQ who knows more I sure.
He had his own runway, a DC-3 and a house all on the beach.

Stickers - 1-29-2010 at 04:47 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by fishbuck
He had his own runway, a DC-3 and a house all on the beach.


Sounds like heaven to me!

Stickers - 1-29-2010 at 05:07 PM

Fishbuck, you should rejoin the BBP. All the work they have done over the years has made it possible for our continued use of Mexican airports. Jack flies to Mexico City and tirelessly lobbies on our behalf to make flying Baja as little hassle as possible.

Once you are a member you can post on the board and get in touch with ALL the pilots using the San Quintin airports and get all the information possible.

BBP didn't close the board to non members to be stingy but there were issues that needed to be more confidential.

Rick

Hook - 1-29-2010 at 05:25 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Stickers
Fishbuck, you should rejoin the BBP. All the work they have done over the years has made it possible for our continued use of Mexican airports. Jack flies to Mexico City and tirelessly lobbies on our behalf to make flying Baja as little hassle as possible.

Once you are a member you can post on the board and get in touch with ALL the pilots using the San Quintin airports and get all the information possible.

BBP didn't close the board to non members to be stingy but there were issues that needed to be more confidential.

Rick


Yeah, really.

What would it be........one less lady of the night per month?:lol:

Stickers - 1-29-2010 at 05:36 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Hook
Quote:
Originally posted by Stickers
Fishbuck, you should rejoin the BBP. All the work they have done over the years has made it possible for our continued use of Mexican airports. Jack flies to Mexico City and tirelessly lobbies on our behalf to make flying Baja as little hassle as possible.

Once you are a member you can post on the board and get in touch with ALL the pilots using the San Quintin airports and get all the information possible.

BBP didn't close the board to non members to be stingy but there were issues that needed to be more confidential.

Rick


Yeah, really.

What would it be........one less lady of the night per month?:lol:


Yea if the ladies charged $4.08

Hook - 1-29-2010 at 06:25 PM

I rest my case.

fishsticker - 1-29-2010 at 06:37 PM

Bob also had a place at Las Encantadas on the beach. ( Near Pt Bufeo.)We fished a few times together and talked alot about flying as we were both pilots. Other than the DC3 he also had 2 Areonca Champs or Chiefs. He married a young very good looking Mexican woman from the mainland and had a child who now would be about 6 or 7. He set his wife up in a Pizza Restaurant in San Quinteen. I never visited it so I dont know if it still exists. After he died nobody came to claim his truck, boat or trailer or any of his belongings and they were eventually taken over by the Mexican family that had control of the beach. Before Bob came to Baja he had a guide service and bait shop in Oregon on Oddom lake. He was the best guide on the lake for Lake Trout I have been told. I miss him and his possitive attitude.

Way Cool Bob

capt. mike - 1-30-2010 at 01:06 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by fishbuck
I read most of the stuff in BBP when the forum was still open. It was interesting but none of it seemed like it was from people who live in SanQ.
I was interested in who he was and what he was doing more than about his death.
There is someone in SanQ who knows more I sure.
He had his own runway, a DC-3 and a house all on the beach.


actually there is a bunch of stuff about Bob, his life and his untimely passing on the threads which occured long after the forum went private to dues paying members. So - you wouldn't have seen those.
and SQ is a very popular subject with its own sub section - lots of active pilots with places there and in that vicinity.

Stickers is right - a membership goes to support a very important lobby if you fly GA to Mexico and central america.
if you don't fly there are other things of interest like volunteer organizations using GA, weather sites and more available at the non members section. Some join simply to access the ride sharing capability via posting requests.

it costs about 10 gals of avgas equivalent.
i my bird thats like 45-50 minutes of air time at 180 mph!

ok - off the soap box. join, don't join. read, don't read.
have fun anyway.

makana.gabriel - 1-30-2010 at 08:17 PM

Does anyone know if Mark Armistead's wife Toni, former owners of Cielito Lindo, is still alive? Been a long time since I saw her. They used to have an awesome home on the water in Honolulu.